January Wrap Up (2021)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

I can't believe it's the end of January already! Although I haven't been as active as usual on here this month, I've read quite a bit. 

9 books! A great start towards my reading goal! 

Here's what I read this month. 

Enjoy! 

1. A Life on Our Planet: My Witness Statement and a Vision for the Future, by David Attenborough 

This certainly wouldn't have been my pick, but I received it for a Christmas present from my Secret Santa at work, and I didn't want it sitting on my shelf collecting dust, so I gave it a rest (started it in 2020 so I could finish on 1st January.) But I can see why there was such a reaction for this book on Goodreads last year. You get to see everything David Attenborough has done throughout the course of his life, and then he goes on to say what we must do save the planets. This book was full of lessons and steps on how we can improve the environment and the animals that reside there. If you want a starting point on how we can help rid the world of plastic bottles and lids, I'd recommend starting here. 

2. The Cousins, by Karen M. McManus 

This had been sitting on my bookshelf for the whole of December while I re-read the Harry Potter series. Before I delved into the huge stack of books that was the Throne of Glass series, I wanted to tackle this one first. The Cousins follows Aubrey, Milly and Jonah Story as they're invited to their grandmother's island to work for the summer (despite their parents being disowned when they were teenagers.) Coerced into making the journey, the Story cousins soon begin to realise that all is not what it seems. 

Although this felt a little different in terms of pacing with her other books, it's one of my favourites. Second place out of everything she's written (I've read all four.) 

3. Throne of Glass (Throne of Glass #1), by Sarah J Maas 

I was extremely nervous going into this, because I'd read this once before, a few years back, and it didn't sit well. So this year was going to be the Throne of Glass redemption, where I read the entire series- or I give up on it completely. So, because you've likely seen what I've read this month through this post, or Goodreads, you'll know that I enjoyed it enough that I want to continue on with the series. I could see on this re-read why I'd had some problems the first time around, but there were other things that I didn't remember liking about Throne of Glass, that I did this time around. 

4. Crown of Midnight (Throne of Glass #2), by Sarah J Maas 

If it's possible, I was maybe a little bit more nervous about Crown of Midnight than Throne of Glass because, I knew what the premise was for book 1, I knew what I was getting into. With book 2, I had no idea. But I had no reason to worry, because I loved Crown of Midnight more than Throne of Glass. I met new characters, the already existing characters became more than the roles they played at the start of the book, and the story went in a direction that I very much liked. A lot happened, all tightly wedged within the pages of a 418 page book, and I was looking forward to seeing what would happen next in this crazy, magical land. 

5. The Assassin's Blade (Throne of Glass #0.1-0.5), by Sarah J Maas 

I needed to get to this at some point, before I got too deep into the series, and I heard the best place to read this was before Heir of Fire, so I decided to pick up The Assassin's Blade, the short story compilation, which takes place before Throne of Glass. Honestly, it was the easiest book to read out of the three I'd picked up this month. Most of the short stories range from 75 to just over 100 pages (except for one which is like 40 I think), but if you asked me to pick a favourite, I wouldn't be able to tell you. This is because, no matter the length, they were all rich in content, I didn't feel like they were rushed, and it lent something to Celeana's story. 

6. A Tragic Kind of Wonderful, by Eric Lindstrom 

One of the main goals I wanted to try and prioritise this year was to dwindle some of the books on my "Want to read" shelf on Goodreads (at the start of the year I had 18 books, so I wanted to lessen that number as much as possible). A Tragic Kind of Wonderful has been on that shelf since 2018, so I figured it high time I give it a read. A Tragic Kind of Wonderful follows Mel, who has bipolar disorder. You watch her try to conceal her secret whilst trying to live a normal life. It doesn't sound like a huge amount as a premise, but I will tell you now that this book was a huge brain-buster. Meaning everything seems fine one minute, and then it all turns to shit when you're least expecting it. Pardon my french. 

I had a couple of problems with the language, but given it's more of a book for an 13-14 year old, I'm not the main demographic by far, which is why I rated it 4 stars. This was still a wonderful book and even though it packs a punch emotionally, I urge you to pick it up. Eric Lindstrom's stories are amazing and I'm sad he doesn't have a larger following. His books rival Alice Oseman's in my eyes. 

7. Heir of Fire (Throne of Glass #3), by Sarah J Maas 

I'm not sure what to say about Heir of Fire. In some parts, it was my favourite of all the Throne of Glass series so far. In others, I was too drained from work to really concentrate on much of it at all. However, even though I was half asleep sometimes, there was so much that I loved about this book. I won't talk about it all here, but I'm so hyped to see what happens in the rest of the books! I fell in love with all of the characters, and I'm so conflicted as for whom Celeana is going to end up with. At this point, I have my theories, but I guess I'll have to read the rest of the series to find out! 

8. You Should See Me in a Crown, by Leah Johnson 

Another book that was on my "Want to read" shelf that caught my eye this month. There seems to be a theme forming- I seem to be going for the YA contemporaries when it comes to this shelf, but that might be because it's February tomorrow. I'm more in the mood to read these kinds of books, as opposed to the dark and bitter fantasies/ hard-hitting contemporaries. You Should See Me In A Crown follows Liz, a girl whose dreams are shattered when her dream college rejects her. She thinks that's it, until she decides to try and win the title of Prom Queen, to win a scholarship. Trying to win Prom Queen has never considered, and the last thing she wants is every eye on her as she gains the approval of the rest of the school. Can she win Queen to go to the school of her dreams? 

Aside from that enticing premise, this has an adorable f/f romance, and deals with taking care of a sick relative. It's also great to see a black gay female as the protagonist. A fast and well-written read about being true to yourself and not letting anything stop you from achieving your dreams. 

9. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab 

Another book I was severely nervous to read, and you can probably tell why. The hype for this book is absolutely insane and although I can see why so many of you love this book so much, there were just parts when I was reading this book, that I had no interest in carrying on. I'd get distracted and want to go and do something else immediately after picking this book up. Nothing against the writing, the writing was angelic, as I knew it would be, coming from V.E. Schwab, but it was the characters (which I've seen, have fallen flat for a fair few people when they've been reading this.) It was fascinating to go through history, seeing where Addie was throughout the book, but honestly, I was expecting so much more. 

Okay! Those are all the books I read this month! 

As always, leave a comment down below and we can talk! (Whether it's about what I read, or what you read- whatever it is!) 

I hope you have a wonderful day and I'll see you all soon with my February TBR (2021)! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

Winterish Books

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And today I will be listing books that just have that winterry feel! 

Some will be cute and happy winterry books, and others will be kind of tough and brutal-ish winter reads. 

 I hope you meet some awesome recommendations. 

Enjoy! 

1. The Light Between Worlds, by Laura E. Weymouth 

This book completely and utterly surprised me- in a good way. It's a historical fiction/ magical realism novel, and because I rarely see those genres together, that's what intrigued me and convinced me to give it a try. The Light Between Worlds follows four siblings that run away to a magical land to escape the horrors of World War II in their backyard. They stay there for the remainder of the war, only to return back to their original ages once they've grown to young adults. From that point, the story follows two sisters, Phillipa and Evelyn. Although Phillipa was happy to return to reality, Evelyn wasn't and is plagued with memories of a happy time. Will she make the leap back to fantasy, or fall in the attempt? 

This book has such a mystical, magical, winterry and beautifully delicate vibe that I couldn't help but add this to the list. The descriptions just feels like it takes place in the midst of winter and I highly recommend if you're in the mood for a beautifully written book that throws two fantastic genres together and makes it work.  

2. Salt to the Sea, by Ruta Sepetys 

Another historical fiction, Salt to the Sea takes place on 30th January, 1945, during the sinking of a German cruise liner- a ship that was meant to journey refugees in their escape of the Red Army. It literally takes place in the middle of winter, and the fact that I haven't read this in years (barely remembering anything) but remember how it feels to be reading this, says something! (I should really re-read Ruta Sepetys' books soon.) Everything is brutal about this book. The time period, the writing (it has to be, if it's accurate), and the fact that this book is set in Winter is really shown through the writing in this. 

3. The Wolf Wilder, by Katherine Rundell 

Well there's snow on the cover. The Wolf Wilder is set in Russia and follows a young girl who is forced to go on the run with only her wolves when the Russian Army threatens her very existence. Despite having read this in 2016, I enjoyed it so much that I read another of Katherine Rundell's books 4 years later, based solely on my enjoyment of this book. The nights are tough and cold for Feodora and the description of the harsh winter nights for her and her wolves are what landed The Wolf Wilder on this list. Highly recommend if you're looking for a fast paced middle grade to fly through! 

4. Cold Spell (Fairytale Retellings #4), by Jackson Pearce 

The fourth book in my all time favourite fairytale retelling series. A beautifully lyrically written book that's a spin off for the Snow Queen, and although it was less enjoyable than the previous three books, it was still a decent. Follow Ginny as she treks through the ghastly winters in search for her boyfriend Kai, who was enticed away by the Snow Queen. Compared to the other books in the series, the show and the feeling of winter really plays a party in making this book as interesting as possible, which is why it's on the list. 

5. Let it Snow, by John Green, Maureen Johnson & Lauren Myracle 

Just a quick, wonderful winter read. Three short stories, three authors, that give off that wonderful winter feeling. I have my favourite, and my least favourite, but they have hot chocolate, friendships, and a short, fun, heart-warming story. If you want a winter read you can demolish in a weekend, then this is the book for you! 

Okay! Those are all the books that have that winterry feeling! I tried to range through the genres, and I hope you found some recommendations you haven't tried yet! 

I hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll see you all soon! As always, feel free to comment below! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxxx

New Years' Book Tag

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I know I mentioned (a fair amount) that I'll be posting a Darkdawn review, but I'm not going to do that, because I realised that I've more or less forgotten the whole thing. 

I finished the book, that's it, and I don't want to go back to it! 

So I'm doing a book tag instead. 

Enjoy! 

~How many books are you planning on reading in 2021?~ 

My Goodreads Reading Challenge goal, as you all probably know if you have seen my posts from December, is 75 books, but I would love to read more than that (if I can). I've set of to a good start, since it is January, but I have no idea if I'll be able to keep it up! (But I really hope so.) 

~Name 5 books that you didn't get to last year but want to make a priority in 2021~

1. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab 

2. A Promised Land, by Barack Obama 

3. Instant Karma, by Marissa Meyer 

4. I Was Born For This, by Alice Oseman 

5. Katherine Rundell's books. (Not specifically a book, but I couldn't think of one in particular.) 

~What genre do you want to read more of?~

Typically I try to read more historical fiction and horror, but this year I want to try and read more graphic novel and middle grades.

 I kind of got introduced to middle grade in the summer last year, and I've read enough to be invested in the genre, but also super picky about what middle grades I pick up and I want to change that!

As for graphic novels, I became interested when I flew through the Saga graphic novel series (eagerly awaiting Volume 10). Right now, I have a list of the graphic novel series I want to pick up this year. Check it out here. That's right, I made a TBR! That shows commitment. 

~Name 3 non book related goals for 2021~ 

1. Pass my Driving test! 

(Haven't passed because Covid keeps pushing it back!) 

2. Run a marathon! 

(Not until September, but it's booked.) 

3. To be able to hug my loved ones. 

~What's a book you've had forever that you still need to read~ 

None of them, as I got them all for Christmas. Now, a series I've wanted to re-read for forever is: the "To All the Boys I've Loved Before" trilogy by Jenny Han, especially as the trailer for the final Netflix film was released yesterday. This trilogy was a breath of fresh air, and although it's just normal themes that happen to most people, the writing was fantastic, the plot was great, the characters were fantastic and it was all so cute and funny! 

~One word that you're hoping 2021 will be~

Better. 

~Tag a friend!~ 

Anyone who has read this! 

You're all tagged! 

Okay! That's all I have for you all today! I hope you enjoyed it (as always, you're free to comment) and I'll see you all soon! 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxx

January TBR (2021)

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And I'm here with my first TBR for 2021! 

I did obtain a fair amount of books for Christmas, but there are too many to get to all of them. 

Nevertheless, here's a list of all the books I plan to get to this month. 

Enjoy! 

1. The Cousins, by Karen M. McManus 

I've already finished this, actually just yesterday. But it was always going to be the first book I finished after my Secret Santa's present I got (David Attenborough's autobiography), but I had to include it in this month's TBR, because I've had it for a month already. The Cousins is Karen M. McManus' fourth book, and since I finished it in basically two days flat, I can describe it as an addictive, engaging read, that's dark, but not too dark, that it won't be a good book to enter into the genre of murder mystery. 

2. First half of the "Throne of Glass" series, by Sarah J Maas 

I was gifted the entire Throne of Glass series for Christmas. I'm currently 100 pages into Throne of Glass and I'm actually liking it more than I expected to. I know I've still got a very long way to go before I finish the entire series (hopefully by the end of February, but with Kingdom of Ash being nearly 1000 pages long, I'm not holding my breath) but I know this is a good sign. If you didn't know, the Throne of Glass series that follows ruthless assassin Celaena Sardothien as she's given a proposition: compete to become the King's champion in exchange for freedom. There's lots more to it then that, but that's the main start to the series. I'm unbelievably late to this bandwagon, but I'm going to give this series another try if it kills me. 

3. The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, by V.E. Schwab 

I have heard nothing but fantastic reviews regarding The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue and I'm eager to see for myself why. It tells the story of a desperate woman that made a deal with the devil: immortality, but nobody will remember her. I have no idea where this story is going to go from there, but I'm excited to find out. I haven't picked up a V.E. Schwab I haven't loved yet, so odds are I'll love this one just as much. Excited to pick this up soon. 

4. You Should See Me in A Crown, by Leah Johnson 

I don't know why, but this book just hasn't left the back of my mind since I found out about it last year. You Should See Me in A Crown was the first book I thought of when I started thinking about contemporaries I wanted to pick up to relieve my brain of all the angst/ romance the Throne of Glass series would likely bring, so I bought it. It's just under 330 pages, so I'm hoping I'll be able to laugh and have fun whilst reading this. I'm also hoping I can finish this in a couple of days. 

5. A Tragic Kind of Wonderful, by Eric Lindstrom 

I fell in love with Lindstrom's story telling back in 2017, when I read Not If I See You First, and I've been eager to pick up another of his works ever since. On top of that, because I currently only have 18 books on my "Want to Read" list on Goodreads, and I'd like to prioritise those books if I can. A Tragic Kind of Wonderful follows Mel Hannigan, whose bipolar disorder means she finds life difficult. Trying to keep a new relationship while fighting the instinct to keep him at arm's length, she fears the worst- that her friends will abandon her if they find out the truth. Can Mel bring herself to risk everything to find out? 

I haven't read many books that include bipolar, and I want that to change this year. Also, A Tragic Kind of Wonderful has been on my TBR for a good long while, and it's time I pick it up. 

Okay! That's my January TBR! I think it's a fairly manageable TBR and I'm excited to pick them all up! As always, feel free to comment whatever you like, and I'll reply! 

I hope you have a wonderful day, and I'll see you all soon. 

Byeeee! 

-Abi xxxx

2020 Wrap Up

 Hey guys, this is Abi here, 

And it's finally the end of 2020! I know I'm not the only one that's glad to see the back of this year, but here's what I did anyway! 

Enjoy! 

~Books Read In December~ 

1. The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy (Montague Siblings #2), by Mackenzi Lee 

The second book in the Montague Siblings trilogy (I wanted to get to this quickly because the third book is out next year) and I absolutely devoured it! The pacing was slightly different, due to the story being different, and a different protagonist (Felicity was fabulous, I immensely enjoyed reading from her perspective) but I still enjoyed it nevertheless! I could never have predicted the direction the story took, and I cannot wait to see how the trilogy wraps up in 2021! (It takes place 10 years after the first two books, and I can't wait to see what Felicitiy, Monty and Percy have been up to since The Lady's Guide to Petticoats and Piracy! 

2. Darkdawn (The Nevernight Chronicle #3), by Jay Kristoff 

Finally! I've conquered The Nevernight Chronicle trilogy! Darkdawn is a contender for my favourite book of the trilogy, but I think Godsgrave just scrapes it. As happy as I am to have gotten through the series, (I very much considered DNF'ing the series during book 1) the last two books went up a notch, even more so than I hoped it would. I still haven't released my review for this yet, but rest assured, it'll be one of the first posts I write in 2021. 

3. Harry Potter and the Philosopher's Stone (Harry Potter #1), by J K Rowling 

4. Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets (Harry Potter #2), by J K Rowling 

5. Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban (Harry Potter #3), by J K Rowling

6. Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire (Harry Potter #4), by J K Rowling 

7. Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix (Harry Potter #5), by J K Rowling 

8. Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince (Harry Potter #6), by J K Rowling 

9. Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows (Harry Potter #7), by J K Rowling 

Under a poll that I released in November, I considered re-reading this, as it has been three years since I attempted it. Under over-whelming votes, of course I did! Alongside The Lady's Guide and Darkdawn, I knew it would be a challenge and, with 24 days left of the year, I started the series. 

Somehow I finished it on Monday. 

It has been both an honour and a challenge to take on this series in just over three weeks, but I managed it! (Though I think this is the only series I would have managed it with.) 

~Series Completed in 2020~ 

1. The "This Mortal Coil" trilogy, by Emily Suvada 

I've been following this trilogy since the first book was released in 2017, and I've been entranced ever since! This Mortal Coil follows Catarina Agatta, a hacker who can break through firewalls and cripple mainframes, in a world where people can change their appearance using technology that can change their DNA. She is also the daughter of Dr. Lachlan Agatta, a legendary geneticist that was kidnapped by a mysterious corporation called Cartaxus. When a sketchy soldier comes to collect Catarina, with the news that her father has died, (but not before creating a vaccine that can save mankind) Catarina is stuck with a dilemma: does she go with this soldier, leaving behind the safety of the bunk she's been living it for two years, under her father's orders, or help release a vaccine that could end the DNA virus that's been plaguing the world? Honestly, believe me when I say that the blurb is literally just the tip of the ice-berg with this series. The chapters are swift and fast-paced, short enough that you never want to put the book down. Highly recommend if you like tech-savvy stories that are plagued with secrets and character developments. 

2. The "Darker Shade of Magic" trilogy, by V.E. Schwab 

Now, this trilogy is significantly more well-known, so I doubt I need to explain what this is about. The Darker Shade of Magic is arguably V.E. Schwab's most popular and well loved series, and my opening statement will be that it absolutely deserves the hype it receives. Cut throat face-offs, wonderful characters, a writing style and plot that will have you desperate to want to keep reading. If you haven't read this yet, I implore you to do so. I'd go so far as to say that you aren't a V.E. Schwab stan until you've at least given this series a try. 

3. The "Grey Land" duology, by Peadar O' Guilin

I was introduced to The Call a few years back when Booksplotion (a trio of Booktubers doing a live-show every month for specific books) and I found it okay. The Call is about a school of students being raised as warriors, because at some time during their time at the school, they'll be called- sent to an unforeseen world where the creatures there have 24 hours to hunt the child down. I thought The Call was okay as a standalone, but it wasn't until I found The Invasion a few years later that I decided to marathon the whole duology in a weekend. Very enjoyable duology, though not my favourite out of all of these.  

4. "The Illuminae Files" trilogy, by Amie Kaufman & Jay Kristoff 

This very much might be my favourite series of the year! They're case studies, extracted entirely from texts messages, map diagrams and reports, and I love it so much, it's up there on my favourite series' of all time! I was genuinely getting withdrawal symptoms when I finished the final book, because I need to know these characters for longer! I need to be reading about them! Honestly, I doubt I'd get bored if it was a ten book series because these novels are genius. 

5. The "Arc of A Scythe" trilogy, Neil Shustermann 

Wow. Okay, I know this is a severely hyped trilogy, but it just didn't gel well with me. Thunderhead was okay, but even that book barely made 4 stars. If it wasn't for the fact that I'd bought the entire series in bulk, I most likely would have given up on it. I know some people love this series, but it just wasn't for me. 

6. The "Chronicles of Alice" duology, by Christina Henry 

I was saving this duology for October, because I had read The Girl in Red the previous October, and from what I'd heard, these were darker. And my god, were they. They were exactly what I needed for the month of Halloween. As expected, the story follows Alice, as she wakes up in a mental asylum, and the world thinks she's a danger to herself. But the rabbit calls, and Alice must return to Wonderland if she is ever to be rid of him. This duology was gritty and disturbing, and I recommend this for anyone that wants a psychotic book that will give you goosebumps (though there are triggers for rape, cannibalism, addiction, murder, prostitution amongst other things, so maybe don't read this if you don't like those kinds of stories.) 

7. "The Nevernight Chronicle" trilogy, by Jay Kristoff 

And finally, The Nevernight Chronicle. I've written reviews for 2/3 of these so far, so if you want more of my in-depth thoughts, but honestly, my feelings regarding this series is... mixed to say the least. Godsgrave was probably my favourite, but they each had positive and negative points within them. I'm glad I managed to finish this series at last though. 

~Series I Started & Caught Up on~ 

1. The "Heartstopper" series, by Alice Oseman- Finished Volume Three 

2. The "Legacy of Orisha" series, by Tomi Adeyemi- Finished book 2

3. The "Skyward" series, by Brandon Sanderson- Finished book 2

4. The "Wayward Children" series, by Seanen McGuire- Finished book 5

5. The "Skulduggery Pleasant" series, by Derek Landy- Finished book 13

6. The "Circle" trilogy, by Teri Terry- Finished book 1

7. The "Villains" series, by V.E. Schwab- Finished book 2

8. The "Saga" series, by Brian K. Vaughan & Fiona Staples- Finished Volume 9

9. The "Montague Siblings" trilogy, by Mackenzi Lee- Finished book 2

~What I Achieved in 2020~ 

1. I read 93 books! (My Goodreads Reading Challenge goal was 60, which I reached in September.)

2. I ran my longest distance to date (16.45 miles- Naseby.) 

~What I'm Looking Forward to in 2021~

1. Finally passing my Driving Test (was meant to be in November- since been moved to April.)

2. Brighton Marathon! 

3. Attempting my Goodreads Reading Challenge! (I'm attempting 75 books.) 

4. Talking to you guys on here! 

Okay! That's my 2020 Wrap Up! I hope you enjoyed it, and I'll see you all very soon! 

(Remember, you can comment if you want to!) 

Byeeeee! 

-Abi xxxx